Local

Police looking for men who robbed restaurant, shot employee

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Police in Matthews are searching for two men who robbed a Red Lobster over the weekend and shot an employee.

The wife of one of the employees who was working early Saturday morning told Channel 9 that employees had just finished unloading food from a delivery truck around 6 a.m. That's when police said two men dressed all in black clothes came in the back door. They were armed with handguns.

She said the robbers put a gun to her husband's head and he fell to the floor. The restaurant manager and the delivery truck driver tried to run away.  Then one of the men shot the manager in the leg and forced him to open the safe in a back room.

Police said the robbers took $2,800 and ran away.

The manager is expected to be OK.

Eyewitness News told customers about the robbery.

"Oh it's awful, it's awful, but that's how society is getting nowadays. I wish it was different, but it's not. A sad thing to happen," said Cleve Nichols.

Mahmoud Alhousseiny said, "Yeah, I always feel safe. That's why I'm surprised that this happened here."

Eyewitness News asked police if the area has seen a lot of crime. They said since August 2011, Independence Pointe Parkway, where the Red Lobster is located, has seen two robberies and one larceny.

The restaurant just opened over the summer. A representative said they haven't had any problems up until now. They also said the restaurant increased security over the weekend.